East Dallas Midcentury Ranchette Packs a Powerful Punch in Modest Footprint

That old saying about good things coming in small packages can be hard to reconcile with the “bigger-is-better” mentality that often rules Texas real estate.

But it’s an easy fit in today’s Tuesday Two Hundred, a cozy midcentury ranchette in East Dallas at 823 Lake Terrace Dr. With 1,490 square feet and a great layout, this 2-2 packs a powerful punch in its modest footprint. It is newly listed by Kerry Slaughter at Paradise Slaughter Real Estate for $279,900.

Built in 1954, this midcentury house has a remodeled kitchen and baths, refinished original hardwoods, new windows, and totally charming curb appeal. It is located near Peavy Road and E. Lake Highlands Drive, walking distance to White Rock Lake. There’s so much to like, from the open-concept floorplan to overall flow of the house.

The tiled entryway opens onto the living and dining rooms on the right, an open space with recessed lights, fresh gray paint, and crown molding. This first area shows something I appreciate about this house: the rooms flow together and can share function. It makes the 1,490 square feet go a long way and seem larger.

The dining room flows into the open-concept kitchen/living/family room area, a newly renovated area with granite counters, stainless steel appliances, a breakfast bar, recessed lighting, crown molding, and lots of cabinet and pantry space. The tile is a smart choice for the kitchen, but I’m not too sure about carpet under the breakfast bar. Looks like a mess waiting to happen.

The master bedroom is 10-by-14 and the second bedroom is 10-by-12, and they each have those lovely hardwoods, plantation shutters, ceiling fans, crown molding, and good-sized closets.

The second major reno area of this house was the two bathrooms, both of which got major facelifts with cabinetry and granite counters that match the kitchen, fresh paint, new ceramic tile, new mirrors, and more.

This house is zoned for Hexter Elementary School, which earned a GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10 based on student achievement on standardized tests, so this is a selling point for young families.

Overall, I think this East Dallas ranchette earns top marks for fitting so much function and style into a modest footprint. What do you think? Leave us a comment!